USD senior guard Darian Norris ultimately decided to come to San Diego to finish his college basketball career two years ago. What people don’t know is that he nearly ended up on the other side of town.

Norris was first recruited by San Diego State – “They were coming on really strong,” he said – when the point guard they had targeted, LaBradford Franklin, decided against signing a letter of intent during the fall period. SDSU coaches saw Norris at Salt Lake Community College, then made plans to have him visit campus.

Then Franklin finally committed, and the Aztecs were out of scholarships.

The next day, USD coach Bill Grier called and Norris came to the Toreros instead, playing for team that finished 6-24 while the Aztecs were going 34-3. USD was embroiled in a game-fixing scandal; SDSU was reaching the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

“I mean, sometimes I think about it,” Norris says. “Last year they had that great season. But I’m happy where I am. I love my teammates.”

And the Toreros love him.

With 6-foot-11 center Chris Gabriel dismissed from the team last week, and until any of USD’s promising youngsters prove themselves, Norris is its only senior and only proven big-time Division I player. He led the team in scoring, assists, steals and minutes last season. He runs the offense. He covers the opponent’s best perimeter player. If the backup point comes in, he stays on the floor and moves to shooting guard.

In other words, the issue for the Toreros isn’t Norris. It’s everyone else.

The season opens tonight against Stephen F. Austin at the Jenny Craig Pavilion, and Grier will start a true freshman, a redshirt freshman and a sophomore who has one previous career start. A true freshman and two other redshirt freshmen will come off the bench.

“Our football team is good here,” Norris said. “Our women’s soccer team just won an NCAA Tournament game. Our volleyball team is doing well. There’s a lot of success. We just want to be part of it.”

Here are four keys to that happening:

The defense can’t rest

The Toreros struggled to score last season, no question, regularly going long stretches without a point. But the bigger issue this year might be stopping people.

“I’m concerned from the defensive standpoint more than anything,” Grier said. “We have a lot of young players. There’s a lot of learning going on, and the progress is slow. That’s the area where I feel we’re behind.”